Whisper of the Heart
by TeeLee-Sensei
Summary: My mother met my father at Orange Star University. He never spoke to anyone, not even the teacher. He always payed attention, did his homework, studied for exams, and was never kicked out of the room for disruptive behavior like Mom's friend, Sharpener. Dad did everything he could not to stand out, but he couldn't keep himself hidden from Mom. . .


My mother met my father at Orange Star University.

He sat in the front row of the classroom, always three or four empty seats away from the nearest person. At first glance there was nothing special about him. He wore a plain white, long-sleeved shirt everyday, along with fitted blue jeans. His hair was pitch black. Short like freshly cut grass.

_"That was the style back then," _Mom told me, a warm smile on her face_." He looked so handsome. I thought he just used gel to spike his hair that way. I never knew there was a different reason, none of us did." _Her smile turned sad_." That would certainly explain your brother's spiky hair."_

Except for his hair, Dad tried really hard not to stand out. He never spoke to anyone, not even the teacher. He always payed attention, did his homework, studied for exams, and was never kicked out of the room for disruptive behavior like Mom's friend, Sharpener.

Dad did everything he could not to stand out, but he couldn't keep himself hidden from Mom. Everyday she observed him from the back of the class. It bothered her that he didn't have any friends or anyone to talk to. She knew he had to be lonely. So, one day she waited for everyone to leave the classroom before confronting him.

"Why are you always alone?" Mom demanded.

Dad looked surprised. Maybe he was amazed someone had spoken to him, or maybe he was shocked that Mom had spoken rudely. She didn't even waste time with polite introductions, she went straight to the point.

Mom crossed her arms and glared up at the quiet man. She was overwhelmed with a surge of conflicting feelings: She didn't like how tall he was, that made her feel like a little kid ( of course every man is taller than mom; she's 5ft. tall). She wanted to slap that wide-eyed, slightly gaping look off his face. She was also angry because it became obvious that Dad wasn't going to answer her question. . .

The quiet man gripped tightly onto the strap of his book bag, a pinkish blush tinting his cheeks. He gulped, and dabbed at the sweat forming on his brow. It was obvious that he wasn't used to talking to people. His eyes continuously darted from her to the door, wanting so badly to escape her scrutinizing gaze.

"I have to go, Miss." He stuttered, looking at the open door as he spoke.

He had a nice voice.

"This will only take a sec," Mom said,reaching her hand out to pat his arm. His left brow arched at the unfamiliar gesture. Mom couldn't help but notice how strong his arm felt under his sleeve." Look, I can tell by the grades posted outside that you're no idiot. I mean, you must know that people think you're a snob because you hardly talk. I can see now that you're just a shy guy. If you'd open up more, smile every now and then, and maybe say good morning to people, I'm sure you'd have a flock of friends in no time."

Mom reached towards the ceiling as she stretched, feeling lighter after confronting the shy guy she worried about everyday. Every quiet and lonely person reminded her of her Dad. That's the way Grandpa Hercule behaved shortly before he took his own life, withdrawn from everyone around him.

Dad's eyebrows rose to his widow's peak.

"Oh, and one more thing," Mom winked,snapping her fingers as she pointed at Dad." Don't call me Miss. Just call me Videl."

Dad smiled, amused by the woman giving him tips on how to be more popular, when being popular was the last thing he wanted. Her cockiness would've rubbed anyone the wrong way, but not him. He thought she had a good heart.

"Do you have a first name?" Mom asked.

"Gohan."

A long awkward silence.

"I'll talk to you later, Gohan." Mom said, turning in her paper on the teacher's desk, then disappearing into the hallway. She smiled and greeted everyone she passed as she walked to the school's library, feeling wonderful for changing someone's life. She had no idea she was being followed.

**. + . + . + . + .**

Mom talked to her friend Sharpener, who worked in the library, for a while. It was the one place he was actually quiet most of the time. He hated working there, but needed the extra money to pay for his book fees.

It's funny she'd give someone else advice when she herself had only one friend. After what happened to Hercule, Mom was afraid to get close with anyone else. She didn't want to lose anyone she loved again.

_"I never worried about Sharpener." _Mom sighed_." It's like the saying goes: Idiots live forever."_

As she waited for Sharpener's shift to end, Mom wandered to the far end of the library, to the section hardly anyone ever went to check out books. Most students came to the library to study, use the computers, lounge while reading magazines, and to use the reference books. Some liked to read in their spare time, but only fictional romance stories.

Mom liked to read everything, but she liked reading non fiction books the most.

Under the dead lightbulb, in the dusty corner of the room, on the second to top shelf sat her favorite book called," Planet Vegeta," by the mysterious author known as Ulmba Fribes.

On that day, the day she talked to my father for the first time, Mom took the book from its shelf and flipped through the pages until she came upon the page with a newspaper clipping inside it. Mom had written questions in blue ink on the square newspaper.

_**Look at this. Human kills wife and child. Are we really any less savage than the Saiyans?**_

_**Saiyan woman executed for staying on Earth after her Earth Card expires. Do you agree with this? She had a half-human baby, and it was killed to.**_

She had left behind the paper articles and questions months ago, but there was no response. It seemed like no one except her read about the Saiyans in books, instead of false magazines that encouraged people to hate the Saiyans.

Mom placed a new article inside the book before leaving the library. It was about a Saiyan soldier massacring an entire village. For the first time, Mom was being swayed to hate the Saiyan race.

_**Ulmba Fribes is wrong. Maybe Saiyans are all monsters after all. **_

Dad had been watching my mother the entire time. He was so curious that he'd been brave enough to stand on the other side of the tall bookshelf, which wasn't very tall for someone two inches over six feet. He didn't even pretend to be interested in a book, which must've looked strange to anyone who might've walked past. He peered through the small gaps in the bookshelf, fixated on my mother.

_"He tripped over a small stool, but I didn't hear him fall." _Mom giggled.

I can only imagine how disappointed he must've been when he opened the book after Mom left with Sharpener.

* * *

. . . .

Librarian#1: Let's put the black stool thingy in the middle of the aisle and see if someone trips over it!

Librarian#2: *cackles like a witch* I'll get the special stool, the one that moves on it's own and appears right behind the person as they back up. Mwahaha! - - _- I swear this is what my local librarians must do. That stupid stool always appears behind me! I don't fall, but I do drop the book & it echoes, which sounds like it weighs fifty pounds. So embarrassing!_

_-I found a newspaper clipping in a book i recently checked out. I think a Gohan/Videl debate would be far more interesting then Shizuku and Seiji's "I'm going to read all the good books and check them out before you, ha, ha, kiss it" attitude-thing._

_-Ulmba Fribes is an anagram. Can you guess her real name?_

_"Whisper of the Heart" tied on my poll. I'm merging "Whisper of the Heart" together with a different story. I'm not sure how funny it'll be. Not sure this story will qualify as a Parody either. It's more inspired by the movies at this point. I wont continue this until **AFTER** I finish 'Don't Worry, I'm A Ghost' and 'Vegeta's Hangover.'_

_And yes, this will be my last DBZ fanfic...for a while. A long while._

_Review. Favorite. Follow. ^_^_


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